Intertwined
by heidlebergchick
Summary: When Professor Flitwick pairs up his 6th year NEWTs class for a project, Ron is partnered with Millicent Bulstrode. There task is to ward an object against intrusion. The magically compatible teams must work together or risk failing the project. Can they pull it off? Slice of life/School House Cup Competition fic.


**Title:** Intertwined

**Prompt:** Gab – Ship – Ron Weasley x Millicent Bulstrode

**Rating:** K

**Word Count:** 4942

**Beta: **Aya

**Warning:** None really. Contains a sentence of British slang "They got stuck in." This simply means, "they got started." Forgive the confusion.

**Intertwined**

Ron Weasley sank into his chair, grateful he wasn't late for his sixth year Charms lesson. Harry nodded at his friend who grinned back. Right as Ron was about say something to him, Professor Flitwick clapped his hands together enthusiastically.

Standing on a large stack of books, the little professor addressed the class. "Good morning students. As you know, this is our NEWTs class and we have begun looking at some of the more complex and advanced charms. Specifically we have learned the theory and history behind some of the more commonly used wards. Now the time has come to put your theoretical knowledge into practise. Everybody stand please."

The small professor waved his wand in an intricate series of loops. Some of the students gasped at the display of incredibly advanced magic while the majority of the class was busy moving away from their chairs and desks. As their teacher completed his spell, all their desks were replaced with nine desks large enough to seat three people. Before each desk stood two comfortable looking wooden chairs, but everyone was drawn to the object on the desks because in the centre of each one sat a little wooden box. If Ron was honest, the box was nothing much to look at. It was a fairly plain little thing, large enough to hold a rolled up scroll or maybe a few quills.

"Today we will be starting a project to test your ability to ward objects. You will have two weeks for this project, which will be broken up into a practical and written assignment. To achieve this, you will be paired with a classmate of sufficient compatibility."

As the class began to whisper excitedly about the compatibility and team aspect of the project, Ron moved to stand beside Harry, designating him as his partner. As he watched, the other students began to do the same until Professor Flitwick began to laugh. The students cast their confused expressions in his general direction while their Charms Professor directed his wand in a large arch and performed another advanced charm. While no one in the classroom knew what he had done, they soon began to feel its effects.

"Ron! Look!"

Ron jumped at the sound of Harry's voice, edged with panic and surprise. Other students also began to exclaim as Ron finally looked down at his chest only to see a tendril of magic coming from it. Shocked, the redhead looked back at his best mate for help, finally realising Harry had one as well. Surprisingly enough, Ron found that it didn't hurt. When the tiny Charms Professor cleared his throat, the students collectively turned to face him.

"I'm sure you're wondering what is happening. Do not worry; the tether will disintegrate when you find your partner. As I said, to achieve the best results for this task, you must be paired with a classmate. The tether will tell you who among your peers is most magically suitable to be your partner for the duration of this project. Please find your partner and pair up at a desk."

As the two boys watched, the students began to pair up slowly. Neville found himself paired with Blaise Zabini. The slightly taller boy immediately began to size up Neville before shaking his hand. While there was an element of uncertainty between them, there was no ill will. Draco found himself tethered to a fellow Slytherin; Theodore Nott. They grinned at each other before taking a seat. Dean Thomas gave his fellow Gryffindor, Seamus Finnegan, a high five before they found their own desk.

Hermione looked like she was forced to suck on a lemon as she walked over to Pansy Parkinson and Harry and Ron each winced at the unfortunate pairing. Lavender Brown pouted as she passed the Slytherin boys as she made her way over to Tracey Davis. Knowing she would rather be drooling at one of them, Tracey laughed and welcomed the bubbly blonde. Parvati Patil sat next to Sally-Ann Perks.

Vincent Crabbe hadn't moved from Gregory Goyle's indicating they had also been matched up. Harry clapped Ron on the back before sitting beside his own partner, Daphne Greengrass. The famed Ice Queen of Slytherin wasn't looking at him as though he was something she had scraped off her shoe. Instead she showed her mild curiosity and amusement at the match. She definitely wanted to see what it was like to work with the equally famed Boy Who Lived.

Shrugging at his best friend, Ron stared down at his tether and began following it until he found himself staring at the most unlikely of partners. As Ron glanced up at Millicent Bulstrode, he looked as though he had been hit with a Stupefy as his mind began to race.

Millicent was not what one would typically describe as a natural beauty. She wasn't skinny, rather she had a broader build with a more curvaceous body. She had a slightly rounded face and intelligent, brown eyes. She also looked like she could break a man in half with one bicep if he crossed her. As Ron fought the urge to gulp, Millicent raised her eyebrows clearly showing her mirth. At the next table, Harry frowned at his best mate. It wasn't polite to keep a lady waiting so Harry decided to help him out.

"Hello, Millicent. How are you?" As she took seat beside Ron, she looked back at Harry.

"I'm doing fine, same as always, Potter. Can't really complain." As she smirked she winked at Harry and tipped her head in Ron's direction. "He's not very bright, is he?"

Immediately Ron's ears flushed bright red as he snapped out of his daze and Harry started laughing at the her good natured teasing. "He's just a bit shy when it comes to speaking to ladies."

As if to verify his statement, Millicent looked back at Ron who seemed to hold up under her scrutiny. Finally she reached her hand out to shake his. The redhead returned the gesture, surprised at the strength in hers.

"Looking forward to working with you, Weasley!"

Professor Flitwick nodded when the last person had found their seat. When the tiny professor had everyone's attention, he spoke up.

"Now as you can see I have provided one box per team. Your task will be to ward your box against unauthorised entry. In order to do this, you will be free to choose how you would like to ward your box as long as the wards chosen are permitted to be cast within the walls of the castle. This is a team challenge and you will be marked on how well you work together to achieve the objective."

Satisfied that the class was suitably interested, the tiny professor decided to offer one further piece of incentive. "A final piece of information before you are dismissed class; I will be the intruder and I will attempt to breach your wards. If you fail to keep me from doing this, you will automatically fail this assignment. As will your partner."

At this statement the class broke into furious whispers about how on earth they would prevent the charms master from opening their box. As the students rose from their desks, Ron looked back at Millicent who was seriously considering the assignment. Ron had no idea what they would end up doing but he wasn't about to harm her score either. As he turned away from the stout Slytherin, he resolved to do his utmost to work with her to at least achieve a passing grade.

"Do you mind if I hold on to the box until later?"

Ron was ripped from his internal thoughts and blinked back at Millicent before he nodded wordlessly. She smiled widely.

"Great. I want to try out a few things before we get together and start working on a plan. Wanna meet tonight in the library?"

"Yeah, sounds great," came the red-head's reply. "I'll meet you after dinner in the study section."

"You're on, Weasley! See you tonight."

* * *

Back in Gryffindor Tower, Harry and Ron let out a collective sigh of relief. As they plopped down on the sofa before the fire, Ron turned to his best friend.

"Harry, mate. What are we going to do?" Ron watched as Harry scratched the back of his neck while he seemed to think about it.

"Honestly, I don't know. But they didn't seem too bad." Ron considered his words but was still wary. Long had it been ingrained in his mind that those who were sorted into Slytherin, for the most part, turned out dark or evil in some way. He wasn't stupid enough to believe life was that clear cut, but he was finding it difficult to let go of his preconceptions.

"You're right. I was really surprised. I thought being paired with Bulstrode would be awful, but Harry? She didn't act awful." Harry turned his full attention to the redhead and listened. "She was funny. I mean, she was teasing but it was nothing like what Malfoy would have said, you know?"

Harry nodded.

"She wasn't malicious, you mean." Ron gestured widely with his arms in agreement as Harry continued. "You're right Ron. She wasn't mean. She was funny. I mean, she laughed with us, not at us. When was the last time a Slytherin laughed around us, where it wasn't at our expense?"

"I know!" exclaimed Ron. "I was expecting more... well..." As the redhead couldn't put his finger on the right word, Harry decided to finish the sentence.

"Hostility?"

Ron screwed his face up in agreement but then shrugged. "So how do we deal with these girls? You know I'm no good at talking to girls, Harry. I freeze up and act like a proper git!"

Harry tilted his head at the taller boy. "You like her, don't you?"

Ron looked up at Harry's stunned realisation. "I'm not sure I'd go that far, but I don't want to mess up the project, either." At this Harry's eyes narrowed.

"Because you care about her? You want her to succeed?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, I know she looks mean and scary. She could definitely rip me apart Muggle style, but yeah. There's something about her. She seems smart. She doesn't act like Lavender or Hermione at all. She's different somehow."

Harry could definitely agree with that. "She's laid back so I don't think she'll cause much drama. I think you just got lucky by being paired with her, Ron. It could have been a lot worse. What if you'd been paired with Crabbe or Goyle, or even Malfoy."

Ron shuddered before shooting his buddy a dirty look.

"My magic would never pair with the likes of them! Harry you know that. What about you? I think you got the prettiest girl in the whole year, let alone Slytherin House."

Harry gave a half-hearted shrug. "I think there's way more to Daphne Greengrass than meets the eye, Ron. She's a sharp one, she is."

Ron stood up as he looked at the clock; it was almost time for dinner. As Harry joined him, they locked arms in a display of manly support.

"Alright Harry. I've got your back. Anything you need."

Harry gripped his arm a little tighter. "Same here, Ron. I'll be your wingman. There's no way we'd survive the next two weeks with these girls otherwise."

Looking directly at each other, they both spoke at the same time.

"Agreed!"

* * *

That night, Ron went to the library to meet Millicent as promised. He brought spare parchment, ink, and quills in a bag, ready to get some charms work done. He grimaced at the bad luck Hermione was already having with Pansy. At dinner she had filled both himself and Harry in on how awful the 'pug-faced' girl was. She was already talking about failing the assignment – more like fretting if you to asked him.

Both Harry and Ron had let her have her tantrum hoping it would run its course by the time the two weeks was up. But knowing Hermione as well as they did, they found it doubtful she would listen to their advice. Was it really worth jeopardising her grade just to pick a fight with Pansy? Ron and Harry didn't think it was and they knew Pansy certainly didn't.

But there was no explaining that to their resident overachiever. As Ron entered the library he knew there was no way he would mimic Hermione's approach to the project. No one wanted to fail, and Ron knew if he didn't work with Millicent, that's exactly what would happen. He wouldn't be the only one affected.

Turning the corner, he spied the Slytherin in question pulling parchment, quills, and ink out of her book bag. Already set up on the large table were some reference books. From where he stood Ron could just make out one title named _The Guide to Advanced Warding Techniques by Alice Witherspoon._

Ron cemented his resolve not to judge the girl as she finally noticed him walking over to their designated table. As he sat, he looked at the set of books she had selected. While she had only chosen three, he thought they were excellent concise reference materials for their project.

"Evening Weasley. Good dinner?" Millicent was ever cordial and light hearted.

"Yeah. It was great, you know me. I love my grub." He chuckled at his own joke and Millicent joined him.

"I'm the same. Nothing like a good stew if you ask me." Ron immediately nodded in agreement.

"I'm sure you've heard rumours about my mums cooking. Her stews are the best!"

Millicent nodded, seemly in agreement, until she ginned at Ron.

"You've never had one of my stews. My gran taught me how to cook when I was little. It's partly why I'm so good at Potions."

Ron looked pleasantly surprised by this information and started unpacking his own bag. As Millicent took out a quill and dipped it in some ink, she looked over at Ron.

"Any idea how you want to tackle the project, then?" When Ron shook his head, Millicent shrugged. "It's okay. I have some ideas to start us off and you can jump in at any point if you think we should do something else instead."

She pulled over a small piece of parchment with a numbered list and Ron couldn't believe it. When he started laughing, the Slytherin immediately looked up to see what was so funny.

"It's not you, I promise. It's just, the list. It's tiny and it's not even alphabetised or colour coded." That set him off into further chuckles until Madam Pince narrowed her eyes at him in warning. Instantly cowed, Ron tried his best to recover, while Millicent simply grinned at him.

"Don't worry, Weasley. I'm nothing like Granger in that department. I do what needs to be done and that's it. Do you think the professors enjoy reading three extra feet of parchment any more than I enjoy writing it? I do think grades are important, but there's more to life than school, you know?"

Ron simply sat there, once again pleasantly surprised by the girl. She was so open and laid back. She enjoyed a good banter and had a thicker skin than most girls he'd ever met. It was so refreshing not to have to walk around on eggshells around her.

"What?" asked Millicent during the time he went quiet.

"Nothing. You're just not what I expected at all." Immediately Millicent rolled her eyes and dropped her shoulders.

"Let me guess: she's a brutish, ugly girl that can break my arm clean off in one go, and on top of that, she's a slimy, evil snake as well. Am I getting warm, Weasley?" When Ron's ears once again turned red, she laughed. "Well you're not what I expected either. According to Granger, your laziness is legendary. But I expected some bigotry and dimwitted comments at least. Well now we can both move on with our lives now that we've thoroughly disappointed the other."

Ron just sat there shaking his head in amusement. Never in his life had he met a girl quite like Millicent. Harry was right; what was there not to like?

"I couldn't have said it better myself, Millicent."

"Please call me Millie, then." Ron laughed again.

"Only if you call me Ron."

"Not Ronald?" They both dissolved into giggles before Millie got hers back under control.

"Alright I admit, that one was below the belt. Okay, to business then?"

When Ron started nodding, she pulled her chair a smidge closer so he could see her notes better. Quickly they settled down and got stuck in. Millie proposed a three layered ward system. Layer one would confuse the intruder, the second would physically repel them, and a third ward would prevent the intruder from retrieving the contents of the box. Ron liked her idea for the first ward. It was a little tricky, but he didn't think it would be very difficult. Her proposed idea for the second layer didn't seem to mesh well with the first so Ron jumped in and proposed something more along the lines of a warning system rather than a full on repelling tactic. Finally for the last layer they were both agreed, even if it was excessive.

Before they broke apart, they wrote up a list of wards each of them were currently able to cast, and they were united on having at least one or two practise sessions before actually working on their box so they were both on par with each other. With any luck, the actual casting wouldn't take long at all and they would be free for most of the allotted time to work on the written assignment. With that solid plan in place, they returned to their dormitories.

* * *

Slowly, the days began to blend together for Ron and Millie. They had created a replica of their box to practice on. One would cast the wards and the other would examine them before attempting to dismantle them. After several tries it became obvious that they were surprisingly evenly matched.

One day they got so caught up in their experiments that they worked through their lunch break. When Ron's stomach started growling, Millie solved the problem by whisking him down to the kitchen and rustling up some roast beef sandwiches. The redhead expected the house elves to put up more of an objection, but they seemed used to Millie's presence, like this was normal.

But the youngest Weasley boy wasn't complaining because her food was _amazing_. He made a point of skipping lunch after it happened for the second time. He confessed there was no way he could go back to eating school lunches now that he knew she could cook that well.

When Ron's good mood persisted, the inhabitants of Gryffindor Tower began to notice and attribute it to his new found friendship with Millicent. When it started raising questions, Ron finally had cause to really think about it. The first thing that popped into his head was Harry's original question.

_You like her, don't you?_

If the redhead was honest, then he would have said yes, he did like her. As he tried to imagine a future with her, he saw a hard working woman that refused to settle for being a housewife. He knew she would be perfect at it, but he could also see her as a real professional woman and wondered how it would be possible to mix too such different lifestyles. Then he played with the idea of working from home if they managed to open a family business much like his twin brothers had. Ron had to admit, he really liked that idea.

He also knew that if children were to enter the equation, she would teach them the value of hard work. She would teach them to challenge the status quo, to think for themselves and come to their own conclusions. He knew they would never want for anything with a role model like that in their lives. But now that he saw the image in his head, Ron didn't want to see any other kind of picture. The reason was because it made him happy.

Millicent made him happy. She was everything he wanted. She built him up and didn't tear him down. She listened and took his comments on board which made him feel included at the same time. With her laid back attitude and amazing sense of humour, he really couldn't imagine himself with anyone else.

* * *

The time had finally come. As Ron met Harry at the portrait door, they glanced at each other. It was the moment of truth. Ron felt confident as he clutched his book bag. He and Millie had both gone over their essay the night before and cast their charms.

As they moved along the ancient halls, the other members of their class began to join them. When they reached the classroom, the door was already open and Professor Flitwick was waiting to receive them.

Ron took his seat beside Millie and they set up their warded box on the table. Beside that they laid their written work for the Charms Professor. When the last person had sat and the doors closed with a flick of his wand, the professor jumped straight to business.

"Two weeks ago you were given a task. Together with your teammate, you were asked to ward a box with wards of your choice to prevent unauthorised entry. I will now begin to test each set of wards and determine who has managed to complete the task."

Daphne smirked a little as the tiny professor approached her desk. As he began to examine the wards, he smiled. He poked at the outermost layer experimentally with his wand and suddenly the box looked as though it was encased in a dome of energy. As Flitwick peered through the dome, he saw a the box change. It was still the same looking box, but now it showed an ornate keyhole. As the delighted professor touched the keyhole with his wand, he almost squealed in delight.

Waving his wand again, the keyhole vanished leaving nothing but the original box in a very standard looking dome. As he cast a Shield Piercing Charm, the bubble stood firmly and the professor stepped back looking at Harry and Daphne.

"What happened during the illusion?" asked the Charms Professor.

"It created an alert, sir. So I activated the secondary defence." Daphne's concise answer made Flitwick nod. "I cast the glamour and Harry cast the Fianto Duri as a base. Then I cast Cave Inimicum and Harry cast a Protego Totalum."

The professor nodded again as he looked at Harry. "A very powerful Protego Totalum I must say, Mister Potter. I daresay, had I persisted it would have exploded in a spectacular fashion. Well done both of you!" Pleased, Harry and Daphne watched as the professor moved to the next desk.

Neville and Blaise shifted a little in their seats as the professor tested their box. When he touched it with his wand, he was faced with a powerful illusion of interlocking pieces of metal. If he touched them with his fingers and moved the pieces manually he would eventually be able to figure out the intricate lock. Knowing this would take hours, Flitwick tested moving one of the lock pieces with his wand and watched as the lock shifted to become a brand new puzzle.

Delighted, the professor spoke to the two boys. "Excellent casting. An imaginary device to force a wizard to abandon his wand and move the puzzle pieces by hand without magic. A rather interesting and yet effective, time consuming deterrent. One that will endlessly loop and cause no end to the eventual thief's frustrations. Well done Mister Longbottom, Mister Zabini."

Next came Hermione and Pansy. The two nervous girls watched as the professor examined their wards. The tiny professor frowned slightly before performing another Shield Piercing Charm. With an almighty bang, the wards surrounding their box smashed to pieces. Hermione finally burst into tears as Pansy looked away in anger. Their classmates quickly began to murmur at the apparent failure of the two girls, even as the professor addressed them.

"Which wards did you cast, Miss Granger?" he asked quietly.

"Um, Salvio Hexia, Repello Inimicum and Protego Totalum, sir." came the muffled response.

"And you, Miss Parkinson?"

"I cast a second layer of Salvio Hexia and Cave Inimicum. I wanted to cast Fianto Duri, but _she_ wouldn't let me." She gestured at the bushy haired girl. "She said it wasn't necessary and that her wards were powerful enough without it. She only let me have the box for ten minutes this morning to cast the spells that I did manage to cast!" With another spiteful glance thrown Hermione's way, Pansy turned away.

Professor Flitwick returned his gaze to Hermione. "What is the purpose of the Fianto Duri ward, Miss Granger?" Hermione cast a sideways glance as she tried to recall the wards properties.

"It keeps other spells alive so you can cast more than one ward at once, sir." Professor Flitwick nodded.

"Exactly, Miss Granger. By listening to your partner and casting the Fianto Duri, you would have been able to link all of your wards together to create an impenetrable barrier. The Fianto Duri essentially would have acted as a kind of glue. Without it, you have presented me with a _House of Cards, _so to speak, and with one touch, it all fell apart. I am disappointed that you did not take Miss Parkinson's advice under consideration."

Moving on, the professor tested out a few more boxes, hitting a few more failures and successes. Some of them surprising and some of them not so much. When it came time for him to test Draco and Theo's box, the results were amazing.

As soon as the professor had finished examining the wards and tried to breach them, a miniature wall of enchanted fire rose up viciously around the box. As the box sustained no damage, it was clear that a powerful Shield Wards had been placed just over it. As he probed further, the flames began to become more vicious. As if to test a final theory, the tiny Charms Professor waited. As he'd hoped, the flames died down and the professor touched the wards again. As the flames instantly returned, the professor ended his charm and chuckled.

"An impressive display, Mister Malfoy. How on earth did you manage to create a miniature version of Protego Diabolica?" The classroom burst into furious whispers at the name of the famed Lestrange ward and Draco smiled.

"My grandfather, Abraxas, modified it after he left school when he was friends with the Lestrange family at the time, and he found it useful in protecting our home during the War with Grindelwald."

"Excellent work, Mister Malfoy and Mister Nott for that fantastic show of teamwork."

Last, but not least, it was Ron and Millicent's turn. As the professor examined the wards, a dreamy expression took over his features before he shook his head. Not even a powerful Confundus Charm was enough to stand up to his strong will. The second layer jumped into effect and this time the tiny professor clutched his head in pain as he began to suffer a migraine. Again he shook it off before examining the final ward. As he peered in at the wards his smile grew bigger until he laughed in delight. When he gestured for them to open it, Ron and Millicent touched the box with their hands, causing it to fall open without protest.

"Well done! Absolutely outstanding! You've done it!" As the professor looked around at the confused faces of his class, he clarifies. "By working together, Mr. Weasley and Miss Bulstrode have truly melded their magic. This was the reason your magic had to be compatible. By casting simultaneously rather than separately, they have created a webbing that will implode and destroy the box if pushed further. In addition, they have protected its contents by charming the box to connect to a replica where it will reappear. This webbing is Mastery level work. Well done you two! _Outstanding!_"

Ron looked at Millicent with a look of supreme disbelief and joy plastered across his face. Harry clapped him on the back enthusiastically and grinned. Ron could admit how great it finally felt to be judged on his own merits for once and he owed it all to Millie. Said girl was smiling the most radiant smile Ron had ever seen and he couldn't believe she could look any more beautiful than she already was.

He decided there and then that he wanted no other girl; Millie was the one for him. After handing in their written work, the class was finally dismissed. Harry and Daphne, along with Ron and Millie, began walking towards the Great Hall for dinner when Ron paused mid-step.

"Millie? Do you still want to be friends after this?" he asked nervously.

"I want to be a lot more than friends, Ron Weasley."

She drew him into a fiery kiss, leaving him stunned and with no room for doubt. As she turned to leave, Daphne threw a predaceous glance Harry's way before joining her friend on their way to drop off their bags.

Ron knew his life had just changed irrevocably and never had he been so eager to greet what destiny had in store for him. But she was worth it, he was sure of that.


End file.
